Foreign Pet Shop, Don't Touch
by Sullen Sphinx
Summary: Tae Sohma has lived in San Franciso all her life. Now that she is sent to live with family in Japan, her adventure begins. What will Tae's arrival stirr up? Humor, Drama, or Romance? Maybe all three. RR!
1. Arriving in Japan

Author's Note: Welcome, and thanks for checking out my first fanfic in ages. I have always been a fan of Fruits Basket anime, manga, and fanfiction. I decided to write one on my own. Please read and review. It might judge whether I post sooner or even post a new chapter at all. It will mean a lot to me. Thanks.

**Full Summary**: Tae Sohma has lived in San Franciso all her life. Now that she is sent to live with family in Japan, her adventure begins. What will Tae's arrival stirr up? Humor, Drama, or Romance? Maybe all three.

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_DING DONG._

"Welcome to Tokyo International Airport! Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is turned off."

At the sound of the flight attendant's voice, Tae almost jumped completely out of her seat in surprise, her long nap ending in an instant. She looked around. There were people waking up and shuffling their belongings together. Tae yawned, stretching her arms and making sure she didn't knock the elderly man she was sitting next to in the face. She rubbed her eyes, sighing deeply.

She reached below the seat in front of her to retrieve her backpack. She placed it in her lap, waiting for the chance to be able to stand up after four hours. She could feel her sore legs pretty much begging to be stretched.

In moments, the seatbelt sign was turned off and Tae could here the clicks of the seatbelts being unbuckles. Soon, there was a long queue in the aisle and Tae decided to remain in her seat until a majority of the other passengers had exited. She sat there, contemplating what living in Japan would be like. She had lived in San Francisco all her life and now, being in her junior year in high school, her environment was scheduled for a most drastic change. She was going to be living with relatives that she had never met.

Her parents wanted her to experience a whole different world, but Tae knew the real reason that they wanted her to go. They were going to be traveling all over the year and they didn't trust her to stay with her best friend, Sam, who had always had a knack for being a bit on the wild side. They didn't want that to rub off on Tae so Japan and unknown relatives it was.

The only thing that Tae knew about the family was that their surname was Sohma the same as hers and that their family was quite large. Great, she had to memorize everyone's names. She knew that this was going to be quite a challenge for she was never good with names.

Most of the people had exited the plane so she moved across the empty seats and finally was able to stand in the aisle. She stretched her legs, and then she tossed her backpack over her shoulder as she made her way to exit the plane. She felt the cool, quick breeze on her bare arms and she smiled. She had always loved the wind just as long as it wasn't enough to push her across the street.

She lived in San Francisco after all. There was plenty of wind and chilly air there. She walked down the hallway that led to the gate. She was greeted by a welcoming and warning message that was apparently in Japanese, and then in English. Her father was Japanese so he insisted that she take Japanese school when they lived in San Francisco. She knew a great deal of Japanese, but she was no where near fluent in it.

Tae looked around the gate area, looking for the person that was going to pick her up. She scanned the area until she saw a man, holding a sign that read "Tae Sohma". The man was tall and looked fairly attractive. He looked no older than twenty-five years of age. He was wearing a pale greenish-gray kimono. Tae found this quite odd because she was told that kimonos, now-a-days, were only wore for special, important occasions.

She shrugged it off and made her way over to the man. She was a bit nervous, having never meant a member of the Sohma family in Japan. She stopped about four feet away from the man, and craned her neck to look at him in the eye. She sighed and decided it was now that she should speak. "I'm Tae Sohma," she said without trying to show emotion, for she didn't know what this man was like, if he was nice, if he was mean, or if he was even perverted. Tae got all queasy just thinking about that.

She decided to hold out her hand for him to shake, for she was related to him after all. He gave her a funny look and then he chuckled a bit. The man then smiled at her and bowed slightly.

"I am Shigure, but feel free to call me Gure-kun!" he said to her. She titled her head in confusion. She really wasn't used to Japanese customs, being raised in the Americas. "Gure-kun? I'm sorry I don't seem to understand. What is with the "kun" after your nickname? I'm sorry if I sound stupid," she said, lowering her head a bit. She sighed as she waited for him to respond.

"Oh, I beg your pardon. You aren't used to Japanese culture as much as I thought. I thought that your father would have taught you a bit about Japan before you arrived, but I guess he didn't. Well, anyway, the suffix, "kun", is placed after the name or nickname and it is used when talking to a man or boy that you are familiar with. I'm sure that when we arrive your new roommates will be more than happy to assist you with learning the customs of our dear Japan," he said, with a smile that wigged Tae out a bit.

She nodded but then, she stopped. "Roommates? Who am I going to be living with?" she asked him, with a curious look on her pale face. She thought she was going to live in the main house, but when the word 'Roommates' came up, she believed that this might have changed.

He chuckled a bit and smiled. "I know what you are thinking. At first, you were going to be staying at the Main House but since that Akito hasn't been doing very well health wise, some of the other members of the family and I convinced Akito to let you stay with me. Also, a few other members of the family live with me as well, and a girl by the name of Tohru Honda has taken up residence with us as well," he said, nodding.

Tae looked at Shigure with a curious expression. "Akito? Who is Akito?" she asked.

"Ha. So many questions you have. Well, Akito is the head of the family," he said to her, "Now, I have a question for you. Is my English that awful?" he asked, tilting his head to the side a bit, smiling.

She shook her head vigorously. "Oh no, no. It's fine. It's nice," she said, smiling, "So…" She looked down a bit, shuffling her shoes a bit.

"Oh!" he said, coming back to his senses, "I think that everyone will be waiting for us to come home. I know that they are anxious to meet you," he said excitedly. He grazed a hand against her back, attempting to lead her to the exit.

"Wait. What about my luggage?" she said, stopping in her tracks. She would definitely need her luggage, now living in a new place.

"I forgot. How silly of me! Heh. This is just like me," he said, hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand, "Well, let's go get them, shall we?" Shigure then started towards the baggage claim.

Tae followed him, and about a minute later, they arrived. "So, who lives with you, Shig—I mean Gure-kun?" she asked, looking up at him as the waited for her luggage to arrive.

"Hmm, well, I think that I should let that be a surprise. Surprises are always the most fun, no?" he said with his trademark smile. At this, Tae sighed because she hated surprises.

Finally, Tae spotted her luggage, two very large duffle bags, and she pointed them out to Shigure. Once they got them out, the made their way to the parking lot.

"What is in your suitcases? Bricks?" he joked, smiling once again.

"No, silly! Almost all of my belongings," she said, chuckling a bit.

"So, shall we go then?" he asked as the approached the car. Then, Shigure opened the trunk and heaved the luggage into it. Then he closed it.

"Yes. Let's," she said, taking a deep breath as she sat in the passenger seat, ready for this new adventure ahead of her.


	2. Meeting the Sohmas

**Author's Note: **_Thanks _for the _many_ reviews. Haha! I only received one, but I decided that I would post another chapter, hopefully to get you excited and wanting more. Maybe then, you'll read _and_ review my story. Thanks to **Hyper Girl of DOOM** for my one and only review. It meant a lot that you loved it and placed it on your Author Alert List. . Here is your cookie. gives her cookie You all will get cookies if you review, too.

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As Tae and Shigure arrived at the house, the sun was so bright it was almost blinding and the trees were making magnificent shadows against the dirt ground. As Tae set her eyes on Shigure's house for the first time, she was amazed. The house was much different from her San Francisco street-lining townhouse. It seems much more open and rustic. The doors were sliding doors. Here, the house seemed more trusting and welcoming then the triple bolted homes in San Francisco.

Tae opened the car door to feel the summer breeze. She smiled to herself, enjoying the fantastic weather. She found the surroundings welcoming. She knew that it was going to take awhile for her to become fully at home, but she knew that the outdoors were sure trying to speed things up. If the outdoors had feelings, could smile, and could talk, she'd thank them.

"Welcome home, Tae. Well, welcome to my home," Shigure said, looking at the rectangular house along with Tae, "I bet the others are anxiously waiting for our arrival. Let's not keep them waiting any longer." Tae nodded in response, and followed Shigure to help him with her luggage.

After they managed to get Tae's luggage out of trunk, Shigure sighed in relief. "I think I'll let you go inside and meet everybody. I'll take the backdoor and get these up to your room," he said, flashing a smile at her, "I'm just glad that our adding-on was completed before you arrived. It seems that many of the members of Sohmas like to spend there time here." And, with that, Shigure struggled with her suitcases. Tae was going to interject but somehow, he disappeared out of sight. Tae shrugged and made her way to the porch.

She looks at the pair of sliding doors and titled her head to the side. She knew that she was definitely not in San Francisco anymore. The doors appeared thin and delicate, like if you punched them lightly, they would snap in two. She walked closer, examining the light-colored wood that was part of the doors. She wondered, should she just walk right it or should she knock? She though for a few moments and she decided to knock. She didn't want to give off a bad first impression to her new roommates.

So, she knocked lightly on the wood paneling, hoping no to break the front door. She waited for a while, until she heard a quick bustling. A moment later, the door opened. Right in front of her was a girl, quite a bit shorter that herself. She had long, light brown hair, unlike hers which was short and a raven color. In a moment, the girl had a bright, child-like smile on her face. "May I help you?" she asked Tae, in a very formal way. Tae decided that this was the time to try and fit in and practice Japanese customs. She bowed slightly to the shorter girl, hoping to make a good first impression.

"Hello. I'm Tae Sohma. Shigure is just taking my bags around back. He said I should just come in, but I'd thought that'd be a bit rude," she said in a friendly voice, though there was a slight hint of shyness in her voice. She also hoped that her Japanese wasn't awful. She was a bit nervous about meeting the family that she had never met. Tae was wondering if this girl was part of the family. She heard that there was a girl that was staying there that wasn't part of the Sohma family. She figured that she would find out later.

"Oh! Hi! Wait! Shigure told me that you would be arriving tomorrow. I haven't had time to prepare your room or a meal or anything! I'm such a klutz! I knew I should have written this down!" the girl cried, obviously worked-up and upset. Tae's eyes widened. Tae thought that the girl was just a little crazy.

"No, no. It's alright. Please, don't worry yourself. It's alright. I'm not that hungry and I can sleep just about anywhere. Really, it's alright," Tae said, not wanting the poor girl to be upset. It was true, what Tae said. She could sleep just about anywhere. On the floor, on the couch, or even outside if it was needed.

The girl sighed in relief even though Tae knew that the girl was still a bit upset. "Oh. Heh. I'm sorry about that. I know that I worry a bit too much sometimes. Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me. Please, do come in," she said, stepping aside for Tae to walk in. Tae muttered her thanks and stepped into the warm, very charming abode.

Tae looked around. To her, it was very ornate with the intricately weaved tatami. Of course, Tae did not know the name of the flooring was, but she was not going to ask any unnecessary questions. She decided that she would look this up later. Tae continued into the house, and she looked around the house. In the distance she could see the small, organized kitchen, which actually looked fairly normal comparing to the dining area that had a small, short table and four red cushions on the floor.

Then something, or rather someone, caught her eye. Sitting at the short table was probably the most beautiful boy that Tae had ever laid eyes on. He had pale skin that seems almost flawless and he had hair that was a silvery-purple color and it shined brightly. A moment later, he started to stand up and she saw that he had a thin, but athletic built. When he stood up completely, Tae could see his eyes. At the sight of his eyes, she froze. They were this indescribable grey that seemed to flicker with emotion, yet at the same time, seem completely emotionless. Tae moved her face, she it wouldn't be too obvious that she was staring.

The boy smiled in her direction. "You must be Tae. We weren't expecting you until tomorrow, but I'm sure we can manage. By the way, I'm Yuki Sohma," he said, bowing slightly. Tae found herself staring at him again, and this time it was at his smile. How could a boy have such perfect, pristine, and flawless features? Tae knew that she would never now. Most boys she knew were rough around the edges and weren't so flawless. She mentally shrugged the thoughts away.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I messed up again. My name is Tohru Honda. I am not part of the Sohma family, but I do live here," she said bowing again. Tae smiled at the girl and her clumsiness. Tae found her very adorable, like a little sister. A moment later, Shigure came in through another door, sporting a sweaty forehead and a smile.

"Tae, what exactly did you put in your bags? Bricks, perhaps?" he asked jokingly. Tae rolled her eyes and she smiled. "Yeah, I did put bricks in there just for you, Gure-kun," she said chuckling a bit. They all laughed for a while, but there laughter was halted by a loud crash. Shigure then left the room, trying to get away. They all turned their head the door. There stood a boy, who appeared much rougher than Yuki, with an angered expression. Then, suddenly a girl could be heard in the distance.

"Kyoooo!" the girl cried. The girl came running towards Kyo with this loving smile on her face. She embraced Kyo in a hug that seemed to be squeezing the very breath out of him. Tae did not know who the two people were. She assumed that they were related or acquainted with the Sohmas. She didn't want to intervene at the current moment. She really didn't want to get injured on her first day in Japan.

"Kagura! Why don't you just leave me alone?" he shouted at her in very good English, trying to wriggle out of her grasp. He wasn't succeeding and Tae made a note to herself not to anger Kagura in the future. She refused to let go of as he commanded her to do so.

"But why, Kyo? Don't you like being hugged by me?" she asked him with big, brown eyes in a pouting voice. He continued to try to wriggle out of her grasp and as Tae watched this happen, she mentally slapped herself. She couldn't believe that she didn't notice it when he first stomped in. The boy, who seemed to be named Kyo, had the brightest orange hair that she had ever seen. She had seen very red hair in America, but in Japan, it was almost downright weird. She stared at him for a little while, not really realizing what she was doing. Suddenly he spoke again.

"Hey, you! What are you staring at?" he snapped, still trying to wriggle out of Kagura's grasp. Tae was taken aback. This boy wasn't very polite. Tae was about to reply, but she was stopped by a soft, by audible voice.

"There is no need to be rude to our guest, stupid cat!" the voice said. Tae turned her head to the right to see that it was Yuki. Yuki stood there with his arms crossed and his face showed an expression of pure annoyance.

"Stay out of it, you damn rat! It's none of your business!" Kyo shouted back at Yuki. The two were now both glaring daggers at one another and Kyo, who was still trying to escape Kagura's extremely strong grasp, gave an audible growl.

"It is my business when you're being unacceptably rude to **our** guest," he retorted back, still with the same expression of annoyance. Tae wanted to interject, but she was stopped again.

"Who is she anyways? Is she that tart that Akito said would be staying with us?" he asked, still trying to get out of Kagura's grasp. At this, Tae gasped and her face flushed red with anger. She rolled up one of her sleeves as she started to make her way over to Kyo. He had pulled the last straw. But, she was stopped by Yuki. He pushed her back a bit and made his way over to the struggling boy. In less then two seconds, she saw Yuki roll up his sleeves and smack Kyo across the face. All she heard was a loud, distinct SMACK!

A moment later, Yuki spoke. "Now, I hope that will teach not to call our guests rude and disgusting names," he said warningly to Kyo. Yuki rolled his sleeves back down, shaking his head faintly. Tae desperately fought the urge to laugh out loud by biting her lip until she though it was going to bleed.

"Well, that's what Akito called her when we went to ta--" Kyo tried to say, but he was cut off by Yuki again but this time, he got hit upside the head. Kyo whined and rubbed his head.

"Don't talk about him. We don't need to bring an air of depression around when our guest has arrived.," he said, putting an end to the conversation as he turned his heel and away from Kyo. Yuki made his way over back to Tae and he smiled at her. "I'm sorry that Kyo is being such a wretch, especially to you. I'm sure he doesn't mean to be. He just can't help it," he said to her, still donning his magnificent smile. Tae returned the smile.

A moment later, Kyo stomped off, leaving Kagura, standing at the door. She stared at Yuki and Tae and smiled. Yuki came back to reality from his thoughts. "Oh, I'm sorry Miss. Tae. This is Kagura. She's also a member of the Sohma family. And that _thing_ that just stomped off was Kyo. Unfortunately, he's also a member of the Sohma family. He's got a big mouth and he can really give but he doesn't know how to take it. Just try to ignore him or if he's being exceptionally bad, you can slap him," he said, chuckling a bit.

"Hello, Tae! I would love to stay and chat, but I really should get home," she said, waving at Tae. A moment later, she skipped off. Tae waved back, and she and Yuki stood in silence. They felt another presence and they turned around. There, peaking in, was Shigure. Yuki narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Were you standing there the entire time? Why didn't you do anything?" Yuki said sternly to him. A moment later, Shigure replied with a weird, girly giggle and with that, he skipped off. Yuki turned back to Tae and rolled his eyes. "Shigure's my guardian. He's a bit of a pervert, but otherwise, he's harmless," he said, smiling his impeccable smile once again.

"Thanks for the warning, Yuki…kun," she said, smiling, "I guess I'll go unpack." She smiled and waved at him. She then made her way up the stairs to her room. She stopped for a moment. She didn't know which one was hers. "Wait, which one is mine?" she asked him, feeling kind of stupid.

"It's the second one on the left," he said smiling, motioning towards the stairs. Tae nodded in thanks as she made her way up the stairs. As she reached her room, she decided that this stay was going to be very, very interesting.


	3. Bonding Over Spilled Miso

**Author's Note: **I finally got Chapter 3 up. It's been about a week and one day since my last update, but I've been pretty busy. I hope that you like this chapter. It's not as long as my other ones, but it really sets the stage for Tohru and Tae's friendship. They are fairly similiar but Tae happens to be able to throw a really good punch. You might even get to see her in action in future chapters.

**Important Note:** So, I bet you saw how I ended this chapter. I ended it with a bit of a suprising cliffhanger. It is because Ihaven't decided who it is that is going to be the person that she's very familiar with. It am positive it is going to be a closer relative of hers, someone that is a Sohma but is more included in her immediate family. If you have any ideas, message me. I'll credit if I decide to use someone's idea. This means a lot. Thanks.

**Another Note:** Also, I only have gotten three wonderful reviews. Please, just review. I really want to know your opinions, but you know, I can't really talk. I find it a pain to review sometimes, too. But, please, I'd love you forever.

There were clothes everywhere. Some scattered across her twin-sized bed and some folded and stacked on the floor. Her bags and other accessories were piled on the vanity. Tae didn't know what to do with them yet. The closet was a good size, but she knew that it wasn't big enough to hold everything that needed to be hanged up. Tae knew that she shouldn't have brought all these clothes but she just couldn't part with them for a year or however long she was staying in Japan.

Tae sighed to herself, trying to think of way of getting everything she owned in a nice orderly fashion. She didn't want her clothes to line her walls because of lack of storage, but she didn't want to ask Shigure to buy any extra storage for her. She was just going to have to devise a plan herself. But, she knew that she wouldn't get everything completely unpacked and put away today. It would at least take a few more days. She was actually quite thirsty and a bit exhausted. She was also anxious to get to know the people she was going to be living with for a while. She thought it would be best to start soon, unless they were busy.

Tae left her new, cluttered room and closed the door behind her. As she walked down the stairs, she could smell something that seemed like it was coming from the kitchen. It smelled foreign, something that she wasn't used to. It seemed good though, but strong. As her sock-clad feet met the slippery tatami, she almost feel herself trip, but fortunately she regained her balance quickly. When Tae was younger, she was one of the clumsiest people she knew. Her father told Tae that she really did take after her mom, Ayaka, who always seemed to be dropping dishes and tripping over things.

When she got older her balance became better because her father trained her in the martial arts. He told her that it was a bit of a tradition for several of the members of the extensive Sohma family to be trained in the martial arts. He never told her why but he just said that it was something a lot of the family members did. Over the years, Tae became quite good. She could never beat her father in a sparring match. He was too good. She still kept training though, believing that her training could come in handy someday.

She looked around the dining area. No one was there, but the table had been set. There was also something different. There was a fifth place added, which Tae assumed to be the place for her. She looked towards the kitchen and there she saw Tohru who was bustling around, stirring things, and checking things on the stove. Out of curiosity, Tae walked into the kitchen. She cleared her throat a bit, not wanting to scare the concentrated Tohru.

Tohru spun around, still almost spilling the hot pot of steaming soup on herself. Instead, some of it just spilled on the floor. "Ahhh!" Tohru shouted in fairly good English, "Oh no! I spilled some of the soup! I'm so clumsy," Tohru was panicking again. Tae chuckled a bit, and shook her head. Tae looked around for a towel to help clean up the mess that she indeed helped cause. She reached for a light purple towel that was sitting on the counter, and she unfolded it. As she was about to kneel down to clean it up, Tohru's words stopped her.

"No! You're a guest! You don't have to. I'll do it!" she said, attempting to lean down and do in herself. Tae stopped her. "No. It's okay. I got it and I don't mind. I mean I am going to be living here for a year or so. I'm going to be doing chores and things in no time," she said, smiling at the panic-struck Tohru. Tohru calmed down a bit and looked at Tae. "Are you sure?" she asked Tae in a worried voice and Tae replied with an eager nod and a smile. Tohru returned the smile and got up to continue making dinner.

Tae started to clean up the thin, clear, brownish liquid that seemed to have mushrooms, small, cut grass onions, and something that she couldn't name inside it. As she cleaned up the mess and picked up the pieces in the towel, she looked over at Tohru. "Tohru, what are these small white chunks? If you don't mind me asking," she said, hoping that she didn't sound stupid. "Oh! That is tofu. Do you not like it? Should I put something else in?" she asked in a worried tone as she was turning some of the knobs on the stove.

Tae shook her head. "No. I just didn't know. I'm just not very familiar with true Japanese cuisine, that's all. I grew up in the States so the closet I got to Japanese cuisine is when we took my dad to a restaurant where they cooked at our table. See, my mom isn't Japanese, so she never learned to love it like my father does," Tae explained to Tohru. Tohru smiled at her and continued working.

Tae decided that as they were talking, maybe she could be of some help to Tohru. Tae looked around and saw a shallow, rectangular pan of raw fish. She looked over at Tohru and said, "Tohru, is there anything I could help you with?" Tae smiled over at Tohru. Then, Tohru turned around and said, "You don't have to if you don't want to. I mean, I'm sure I can manage on my own." Tae shook her head slightly and walked over to her. "I insist," she said, sporting a bright smile on her face.

Tohru's face lighted up in happiness. "Could you possibly put that fish in the oven and set it at twenty-five minutes. It's already at the right temperature. Oh, and the oven-mittens are next to the fish," she said, as she turned around to finish up the soup. A moment later, Tae went over to the counter, collected the oven-mittens, and put them on. Then she slowly walked over to the oven and opened it, feeling the heat radiating out of it. She walked over and picked up the pan of fish and carefully placed it inside the oven. And with that she closed it, entering the time for twenty-five minutes.

She looked over at Tohru who seemed to putting the final touches on the soup. "I finished. Is there anything else that you could use help with?" she asked, being happy to help. Tohru turned around with a smile once again. "Actually, I think that about does it. Thanks so much," she said. Tae smiled in return and spoke. "Anytime, I'm happy to help," she said. Suddenly, Tae heard a knock at the door. She stopped and said, "I'll get it!" She didn't want Tohru to have to stop what she was doing. She made her way over to the door, and slid it open. Tae's eyes grew wide. There, standing in front of her in the flesh, was someone so familiar but that she only knew from pictures.

** --- Yes a cliffhanger. There is a note about this at the top. Please read it and message me if you have ideas. Thanks. Read and Review! --- **


	4. Surprises Before Dinner

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry that I this took so long. I didn't really have the creativity to start right away and I wasn't sure what to do next. But, it's finally finished. I don't know when Chapter 5 will be finished, but I am thinking that I will put it off until after school and driving lessons end. I need to concentrate on those. They are after all, first priority. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember to read and review. I will be giving out cookies. Hehe.

There, standing right in front of Tae, was someone she almost knew so well. The person in front of her was the only relative she knew of before-hand or even had a picture of. He had the familiar features of her father, but this man's hair was much longer. His hair was a pale brown that matched her and her father's own pale eyes. Almost at the very moment she laid her eyes upon him, she knew who he was. He was her father's brother, her own uncle. Tae stood there, looking up in amazement at the uncle she never met. He smiled at her in return. As Tae was about to say something, Tohru interjected.

"Kazuma-san," Tohru said cheerfully as she quickly made her way over to the doorway. In a matter of moments, the three of them were standing a triangle-like formation in the middle of the entry way. "What a pleasant surprise! I wasn't expecting you today. Come in, come in!" she said, once again in a cheerful tone. Kazuma bowed, and with much care made his way into the dining room, were all guests were received in the house. Tae made a fuss over Kazuma, trying to make sure he was settled and comfortable. Tae just sat across from the man and did not say a word. She was speechless as the moment.

Tae paused for a moment and turned her head to Tohru, who had entered the kitchen once again to finish making dinner. Then, Tae slowly turned her head back to the man that was sitting in front of her. She still did not know what to say, even though she had so much to ask about him and about her own father. Kazuma sported his slightly weak, but charming smile once again. She smiled lightly in return. She was about to introduce herself, but Kazuma got to it first. "Tae, I trust that your flight to Tokyo was pleasant? I don't think that your father would be pleased if it wasn't," he said to her, in a tone she could barely describe. "It was pleasant. I slept most of the way though," she replied meekly. She was usually never meek, timid, or anything of the sort but she was meeting the closet relative she knew of in Japan for the first time.

"That's good. Have you met all of the residents of this house yet?" he asked Tae. Tae wasn't quite sure, but she knew that she had met four, plus another member of the Sohma family. "Well, I have met Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo. I also met Kagura as she arrived with Kyo. It was quite an interesting event," she said, trying her best not to laugh about meeting Kyo and Kagura. She almost lost it. Kazuma smiled and said, "Yes. Interaction between Kyo and Kagura is entertainment within itself." Tae sighed to herself, analyzing the similarities and differences between her uncle and her father. They both had extremely similar appearances and what seemed like the same dispositions, but her father was not quite as serene and peaceful in personality.

They sat in silence for a minute or so, until Tohru came out of the kitchen, looking halfway exhausted. "All finished!" she said cheerfully, sounding relieved, "Now, we just have to wait for everyone. Kazuma-san, are you staying for dinner? You are welcome, if you'd like!" Kazuma shook his head slowly with a smile. "I'm afraid I cannot. I have something important that I must attend to, but thank you for the offer," he said, as he gracefully got up from the red cushion that he was sitting on. "Take care you two and tell the others I said hello. Oh, and Tae, would you like to visit me at my dojo sometime? I'd really like to have a chat with you," he said, then looking towards Tae. Tae nodded and waved goodbye to him as he exited the house. Tohru then called out her goodbyes.

Moments later, Tohru sat down next to Tae, with a smile on her face. "So, Tae, what did you and Kazuma-san talk about?" she asked. Tae looked at Tohru and said, "Oh, we just chatted about my flight and if I've met everyone in the house." Tohru now sported a confused, questioning look. "Do you know him or have you met him before?" she asked. Tae sighed and shook her head. "No, but he and my father knew each other quite well. See, Kazuma is my uncle, my father's brother," he said to Tohru, answering her question. Tohru seemed to become really excited. "Oooh! I did not know that before. So, you haven't met him before, but he's your uncle," she said, still a bit confused. Tae readjusted her seating position and replied. "Well, years before I was born, my father left Japan and came to San Francisco. I don't know why though. Whenever I asked him why, he would change the subject quickly. I assume it is something that he would rather not discuss," she said, shrugging her shoulders as she sighed once again.

Tae and Tohru sat and chat for a little while until they were interrupted by the opening of the front door. In the door way stood Yuki, school bag in hand. He smiled at the two of them, stepped in, and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry if I'm late. I was at a student council meeting. Some of the members wanted to get started early before the school year begins," he said placing his bag carefully on the floor near the door. He seemed to be smelling the air and paused. "Tohru, may I ask what is for dinner? It smells delightful," he said, beaming. "Oh! It is fish and miso soup. I'll bring it out once Shigure and Kyo come in," she said.

"That sounds alright. I guess I'll join you two until they arrive," he said, not really showing any noticeable emotion at the moment. Tae drummed her fingernails, a habit she had acquired a long time ago, quietly on the tabletop. "So, how was the meeting, Yuki?" Tohru asked in her usually cheerful tone, breaking the awkward silence. A moment later, Yuki responded. "It was okay. We just started brainstorming ideas for fundraisers next year and for the fall festival. It wasn't anything new or exciting," he said, shrugging slightly. Tae chimed in. "Oh, in San Francisco we had a student council as well. Last year I served as treasurer," she said, feeling a little more like she was contributing to the conversation.

"That's interesting, but we have the council completed now, but you should really run for class representative. The elections will be held in the first week of school," he said, with a semi-hopeful tone. Tae grinned once again and said, "I think I will." The three of them remained calm and chatted for about ten minutes until the front door slide open. In stepped Kyo with a harsh, furrowed look on his face. And at that moment, Yuki turned his head away. Tae suddenly got the feeling that there was some sort of grudge or wall between Kyo and Yuki. She knew that she was probably correct when she assumed this. Tae shrugged off the thoughts of the tense air between the two. She tried to concentrate on her stomach, which happened to rumbling at that very moment. She had eaten since the sparse lunch on the airplane.

It seemed that Yuki decided not to let Kyo's presence phase him, and he started a conversation. "Tae, what did you and Tohru do while I was gone," he said purposely not using the word "we." Tae sighed, trying to shrug off her hunger for the time being. "Well, Tohru and I talked a bit and I helped her out with putting dinner in the oven. Afterwards, someone I didn't expect stopped for a quick visit," she said smiling, glad that she finally got to meet her uncle. Kyo and Yuki both looked at Tae. A moment later, Yuki broke the short silence. "Oh, and who was that?" he asked with a curious tone. She didn't know how well they knew her uncle, but she wasn't going to assume. "Well, my uncle visited. I was quite surprised because I never have met him, living in America all my life. But, I'm not sure if you would know him all that well," she said, shrugging.

"We might. What is his name? There are so many Sohmas that it is sometimes hard to keep track," Yuki said to her. Tae smiled and replied. "His name is Kazuma Sohma," she said happily. Kyo and Yuki seemed to freeze, like they were on a video and someone had pressed the pause button. For many moments, they stayed like this, but they soon returned to reality. Then, Tae swore she hear Kyo mutter something that sound like "_master_". Yuki was the only one to speak. "Oh, we do know him quite well, actually. He taught me and Kyo, here, martial arts. But, Kyo will never beat me no matter how much he trains," he said, in a satisfied manner. Kyo suppressed a deep, soft growl. He was about to retort but something stopped him.

Shigure finally came out of his office. "Aw, you waited for me! I feel so loved!" he said in a sing-song voice. Tae looked over at Kyo and it seemed that a vein in his forehead was about to pop. "Shut up, Shigure!" he said, sounding fairly annoyed. "Aw. Did I make poor little Kyo angwy?" Shigure asked in a mocking baby-talk tone. Kyo's only response was a pouting grunt and a crossing of his arms. Tohru then quickly got up. "I'll go get dinner then, now that everyone is here!" she said, practically skipping off to get dinner. Shigure soon sat down and moments later, Tohru came out with a few dishes and then went back to get the rest. Soon, they were all eating and chatting. Tae soon started to feel at home.


End file.
